The work world has gotten much more difficult in the last couple of decades. It seems every company is cutting staff and admonishing employees to “work smarter and not harder.” Of course, this just ends up with everyone working harder. Advances in technology, rather than making peoples’ jobs easier, has only made things worse. Now you are accessible 24/7, and are expected to be “on” 24/7.

All of this can result in your job robbing you of your humanity and diminishing your spirit, by causing you to:

Be overworked – Being at work for 50+ hours per week, and then being tied into work via email when you are away from the office, is extremely stressful and can rob you of your energy and zest for life.

Neglect your family – Your work demands can cause you to miss out on many important experiences with your family, such as your kids’ after-school activities, dinner with your family, and vacations.

Perform poorly – You are so busy and stressed at work that your work performance suffers, whereupon you get less satisfaction from it and you feel bad about yourself.

You don’t have to let this happen. Here are some thoughts on how, in the face of difficult work demands, you might better keep your humanity and spirit:

Celebrate often – This might seem kind of odd, but it works. You might be expected to work long hours on a project, but when it is finished you and your co-workers can choose to celebrate a job well done. For example, I often brought a cake to work to celebrate completion of a large project, or something as simple as a co-worker’s birthday. It adds a spirit of enjoyment and humanity to your work environment.

Insist on life balance – To protect your health, preserve your attitude, and enjoy your life, try to carve out time to go to family functions, be home for dinner, exercise, and get enough sleep. It will benefit you and your family, and, through an improved attitude and work performance, also your employer.

Treat everyone you meet with kindness, compassion, and respect – You will feel a lot better about yourself if you routinely incorporate this simple action into your work day.

Keep a positive attitude – They can rob you of most of the hours in your day, but not your attitude, unless you allow them! Even if your employer doesn’t seem to deserve your best attitude, you owe it to your fellow workers, customers, and more importantly, yourself, to be happy!

TIM MCINTYRE retired in 2004 from his position as president of Applied Systems after facilitating a successful sale of the company. At only forty-six years old, he made the unusual decision to fully retire to pursue other interests and simply enjoy free time. As a hard-driving Type A personality, this turned out to be a significant challenge for the Notre Dame and University of Chicago-educated MBA, CPA, and Certified Cash Manager.

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